Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-24
iMpRovlNo PASTURES
Bard Work Necessary to Make the Gras0
Crop Profitable.

Bard Work Necessary to Make the Grass
Crop Profitable.
Many believe that our hot, drv
climate burns up pasture land during
the extreme heats of midsummer. and
thus we are prevented from having
those fine old pastures that are 90
common in England. 1t would seem
from this that in low. wet. marshy
districts good pastures would then be
found, where, even in midsummer,
sufficient moisture would be supplied.
But this is not always the case.
Clover, SO useful for meilowing and
deepening the soil. can not be grown
successfully where stagnant water re-
mains in the soil. Its roots will not
penetrate the sub-soil. and it is diff
cult 20 get even start on the wet
ground. So with the grasses; they re-
quirc dry land to succeed well.
It matters not much how the plants
receive their moisture. whether from
the air or from the soil, so long as they
receive it. If plant is in a strong.
vigorous condition, it can endure the
extreme heat and dryness of our sum-
mer months without burning up; but
if its stalk is weak and flabby. the re-
verse will necessarily be the case. The
wheat plant is of the grass family, and
when highly cultivated it proves proft-
able crop to farmers in this country. 1t
requires, however, as all know the high
est sort of cultivation to grow it in per-
fec:ion. Leaving the land rs nature has
prepared 1t is not sufficient for the
wheat crop; certain mineral clements
that are lacking in many localities have
to be supplied to the soil. When these
are exhausted. the wheat does not
flourish, and in many cases the land
is then turned out to pasturage. 1t is
no wonder that the grasses are def
cient in strength and durability to
withstand the hot summer weather, for
the very mineral elements that would
give them fiber and hardness have
been taken out of the soil.
Lack of mineral elements in the soil
makes the pastufage poor in quality
and scraggy in appearance. Coarse
grass grows in the wet, marshy
places, but its strong growth is not the
result of the abundance of mineral ma
terial, and The animals will be found
to avoid it when any thing better can
be obtained. Grass that has been pro-
duced in field where the mineral cle-
-, II, 1x-sll nj, h<
ferred by the cattle to that grown in
wet places. or on field that has been
turned over to pasturage after the
wheat plant has failed to grow on it.
The land that is treated for pasture
the same as for wheat produces re-
markable results. The successful
grower of wheat knows that phosphate
is essential to its growth in perfection;
but as this is usually considered an ex-
pensive manure, potash or salt fire.
quently takes its place. On pasture
land either of these would be found to
act beneticially. A great deal of the
dark vegetable mold found in pasture
lots is not in an available condition
for the grasses to take up, and instead
of proving useful to the grasses. it
often has the directly opposite effect.
Salt or lime decompOses this mold.
and places it in readiness for
the plants to utilize. These min
erals are not fertilizers; on the
contrary. they might be said
to exhaust the soil, for they convert
plant food into condition favorable
for use, and consequently allow the
grasses to take up more of the strength
of the soil that they otherwise would.
But they help to improve the quality
of the pasture, which alone is sufficient
to recommend frequent applications.
The essence of the salt goes into the
plant itself. as may be ascertained by
tasting with the tongue any meadow
grass. which always contains strong
salty flavor. This serves to sweeten
the grass. and in many instances sup
plies the animals with the very ma
terial that they need. Occasional
doses of salt are necessary to the health
of cattle, unless it is fed to them grad
ually in their feed.
Wood ashes also serve to enrich the
pasture land. and it is probable that
potash salts will give similar results.
If applied early in the season. the good
results may be observable that sum-
mer In England this material is fire.
quently spread over the pasture lands.
and it is, after all. the great amount Of
mineral fertilizers that the English
farmers use that makes their pasture
superior to ours. The American
farmer too often makes the grass
crop merely an adjunct of his work.
and devotes little time or attention to
its improvement-G. E. Walsh, in
NJ T. Examiner.
Enthusiastic Sunday-school Teach